Claire Mott White, a quiet, “back-of-the-house” philanthropist who championed programs for children, young people and the arts both nationally and in her home community of Flint, Mich., passed away on Monday, March 24, 2014, in Grand Blanc, Mich.
Born and raised in Flint, Claire’s concern for her home community was demonstrated daily —not only through her financial generosity, but through her many hours volunteering on local boards and committees. Since 1996, she served as a Trustee of ... view more »
Claire Mott White, a quiet, “back-of-the-house” philanthropist who championed programs for children, young people and the arts both nationally and in her home community of Flint, Mich., passed away on Monday, March 24, 2014, in Grand Blanc, Mich.
Born and raised in Flint, Claire’s concern for her home community was demonstrated daily —not only through her financial generosity, but through her many hours volunteering on local boards and committees. Since 1996, she served as a Trustee of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, established by her grandfather in 1926. She also was chair of the Isabel Foundation and president of the C.S. Harding Foundation, both Flint-based family foundations.
Claire was a long-time board member of the Flint Institute of Arts, where at the age of 4, she took the first of many classes. At the time of her death, she served on the museum’s Collections Committee and previously chaired the Building Committee and the Art School Committee. In 2005, the Flint Institute of Arts named its classroom wing in her honor.
A graduate of Principia College in Elsah, Ill., she earned a BA in Fine Arts in 1961. That same year, she married William S. White, now president and CEO of the Mott Foundation. An accomplished artist and ceramics teacher, Claire, along with her husband, received the 2007 Guvvy Award—the Michigan Governor’s Award—for lifetime achievement in supporting the arts and culture.
Throughout her life, Claire served on many local and national boards, including several terms as a trustee of the Flint Cultural Center Corporation. The Flint Youth Theatre, housed at the William S. White and Claire M. White Center on the Flint Cultural Center campus, was named to honor the couple’s ongoing efforts to sustain the organization’s outreach to thousands of area children and young people.
Though she came from a prominent family, Claire was a private person who always put the needs and interests of family and friends before her own. Family members describe her as a humble servant who generously shared her time, talent, and good fortune with others.
She was involved in many local charitable and service initiatives, ranging from the creation and publication of a fundraising cookbook for the Junior League of Flint to the annual production of pottery for the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan’s “Empty Bowls” event. In acknowledgment of her commitment to community service, especially efforts serving women and girls, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint honored her “quiet leadership, positive energy and gentle guidance” with the 2006 Libby Award.
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